Tapp Labels Begins Layoffs After Reduced Operations At Vancouver Plant

Tapp Labels is downsizing its Vancouver printing plant with the result that at least 50 employees are being laid off according to sources at the company and internal correspondence obtained by Wine Industry Insight. Specific layoff numbers for each plant location are not available.

The actions are expected to be complete by the end of August.

Wine Industry Insight emailed Tapp CEO David Bowyer, but received no reply.

According to an insider, the actions “reflect necessary consolidations and efficiency adjustments following the past two years of vigorous acquisitions.”

While the company site lacks basic information, its LinkedIn profile, says the company has 251-500 employees. Various published reports put that number at 300.

The company owns six plants, four on the West Coast: Napa, Livermore, Paso Robles, and Portland OR along with two in Canada: Vancouver and Toronto.

A fully fleshed out article on the company’s growth and its CEO can be found at: Narrow Web Profile: Tapp Label Company

Tapp Label restructures Vancouver, Napa locations

Tapp Label, a high-end label converter that targets the wine industry, is making changes to its operations; changes that include reducing staffing at two of its locations and moving business from Canada to California. The moves will help Tapp Label better serve the wine industry, the company says.

Tapp Label operates seven locations across the US and Canada.

‘A significant portion of our business is serving the wine industry, and to better serve them, we are excited to announce that we are moving this division to the US from Vancouver,’ said Tapp Label spokesman Joel Fisher. ‘We now have a brand new 20,000-square-foot facility in Livermore, California, which will serve as our hub on the West Coast.’

The regional restructure, Fisher said, involves shifting some operations to the Livermore plant and reducing staffing levels at its Vancouver, Canada, and Napa, California locations. Tapp will maintain a presence in both locations. The Vancouver location will be dedicated to the non-wine business and the Napa location will be focused on boutique or small wineries.

The company did not reveal how many employees will be affected. Tapp Label’s other locations in Toronto, Canada; Portland, Oregon; Paso Robles, California; and St. Helena, California will not be affected by the restructure.

‘In fact, we’re adding roles and hiring at these locations giving priority to our internal employees,’ Fisher said.

Fisher added: ‘Tapp Label is a strong and profitable company, and our recent acquisitions are fueling our continued success. Our strategy going forward continues to include both organic growth and acquisitions.’